Exotic Forest Research Articles

Leaf-cutting ants’ distribution in an elevation gradient in central Argentina

ABSTRACT Leaf-cutting ants are among the most prominent herbivores in neotropical forests and savannas, and Argentina represents the southern limit of their distribution. Despite their importance, few systematic studies analyze the presence and distribution of leaf-cutting ants in Argentina. Our aim was to describe, through an intensive field sampling, the leaf-cutting ant species present in the central Argentine mountains and analyze their distribution along the elevation gradient. We collected ants from 69 nests in 56 out of the 250 plots visited along the study elevation gradient (400–2700 m above sea level) in seven different habitats, from forests to rocky areas. We found six species. The most frequent were Acromyrmex lobicornis and Acromyrmex crassispinus, while Acromyrmex heyeri, Amoimyrmex silvestrii, Amoimyrmex striatus, and Amoimyrmex bruchi were far less frequent. The species distributed at the highest elevation was A. lobicornis (1223 to 2163 m a.s.l.), showing significant differences with the other species. We found leaf-cutting ants in all habitats, with a higher presence in grazing lawns, shrublands, and exotic forests. Our results indicate that leaf-cutting ants are present in most of the mountain range, as the area above their upper limit of distribution represents less than 5% of the total mountain area.

Landscape patterns drive provision of nature's contributions to people by mobile species

Abstract Predicting how nature's contributions to people (NCP) vary spatially remains a challenge. For NCP provided by mobile species, it is unclear how predictions need to account for the influence of multiple habitat types that act as sources, sinks and potential distractors of the NCP‐providing species. Existing approaches that do not account for these effects may inaccurately predict outcomes in real landscapes. To move beyond these limitations, we transfer quantitative inference approaches from movement ecology to explore how spatial habitat patterns determine the negative NCP of the invasive common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula in New Zealand. We used a Bayesian model to investigate how the size of, and distance from, grassland and indigenous and exotic forest patches together contribute to relative possum density (measured by capture probability across a trapping network) in a heterogeneous 11,000‐ha landscape. We found that indigenous and exotic forest area were the most important factors in determining possum density. Although capture probability declined with increasing grassland area, the addition of grassland did not improve the relative model fit above one with indigenous forest as the only habitat. We expected differences in predicted possum density at habitat boundaries, for example, due to preferential foraging at edges. We found that indigenous and exotic forests contributed to capture probability interactively, such that capture probability at the between‐habitat edge was lower than expected, given the habitat area. We also found that models allowing for non‐linear habitat effects of exotic forests or grasslands, but not indigenous forests, were significantly better at predicting possum density than simpler models. Synthesis and applications. Our novel approach for spatial prediction can be applied to any of nature's contributions to people (NCP), and extended to identify trade‐offs and synergies among multiple NCP. For example, the negative NCP of possum density trades off with multiple known positive NCP from indigenous forests, including culturally significant non‐material NCP, and material NCP produced by exotic forests. We recommend that landscape management plans to maximise these positive NCP in future scenarios also consider how the risk of possum density may dampen net NCP provision. To minimise this negative NCP, our results support trap deployment in both indigenous and exotic forest.

The relative importance of local versus regional habitat structure variation on the abundance of two generalist mutualists along a forest disturbance gradient

Mutualistic interactions are key to biodiversity generation and maintenance, being pollination and seed dispersal interactions essential for plant reproduction. However, anthropogenic habitat disturbance can alter these interactions. We studied the regional and local effects of habitat disturbance on two generalist mutualist animals of southern Chile temperate rainforests: the hummingbird Sephanoides sephaniodes and the marsupial Dromiciops gliroides, which perform key roles as pollinator and seed disperser, respectively. We sampled 12 sites corresponding to four disturbance conditions (mature native forest, secondary forest, native forest under selective logging, and exotic forest plantations) in which we estimated the number of S. sephaniodes and D. gliroides records (as a proxy of relative abundance) using camera traps. We measured seven habitat structure variables at each site, known to influence their occurrence. Specifically, we examined S. sephaniodes and D. gliroides abundance variation at (i) a regional scale (among disturbance conditions) and (ii) at a local scale (among sampling sites). Dromiciops gliroides abundance decreased as disturbance increased, but S. sephaniodes abundance was highly variable. At the local scale, S. sephaniodes and D. gliroides abundances were largely variable among sites, influenced by habitat structural features, such as bamboo and shrub cover and woody debris. Our results show that although habitat disturbance may influence mutualist abundances, they can tolerate disturbance if minimum structure and resource requirements are met, but respond idiosyncratically to local conditions. Examining local-scale variability may provide valuable information on ecological processes, which often goes unnoticed when local sites are considered as replicates in landscape-level studies.

Seedling survival of the endangered Chilean tree Gomortega keule (Molina) Baill., queule

ABSTRACT Recruitment from seeds is a fundamental process for regeneration. Germination and seedling growth are especially important for trees’ conservation. Gomortega keule (queule) is an endemic and endangered Chilean evergreen tree growing in a small area within a global hotspot of biodiversity. Germination and seedling production in this species are not well understood, but presumed very limited. Populations are highly fragmented and threatened by land use change, especially forestry plantations, and fire damages. This study monitored G. keule seedlings in four sites over three years, recording the emergence and survival of seedlings in 24 plots located in four sites within patches of native vegetation surrounded by plantations of exotic forest trees. Seedling emergence occurred during springtime (October – December), lasting 40–70 days. After emergence, there was a sharp decline in seedling survival; 21.3% survived the first three months. Seedlings died more often in late spring. We confirmed that seedling emergence for G. keule is occurring. However, there is an absence of older seedlings and saplings. More studies are needed on the causes of death. Seedling survival in this endangered tree is essential for its long-term conservation and forest restoration.

How does geology influence the effect of land use on stream macroinvertebrate communities?

Abstract Both catchment geology and land use surrounding a stream will affect the degree of fine sediment deposition from erosion and its consequent impacts on stream macroinvertebrate communities. While geology and land use have been shown to impact stream communities individually, their interaction has received less attention. We investigated the interaction between geology and land use on stream macroinvertebrate communities in the Tairāwhiti Region, New Zealand. The region has streams that drain harder sandstones and softer shales and mudstones, the latter having some of the highest erosion rates in the world. Macroinvertebrates were sampled each year between 2016 and 2018 at 80 sites in exotic forest, indigenous forest and pasture streams that drained hard or soft geology catchments. Conductivity in pasture and exotic forest streams was nearly twice as high as in indigenous forest streams and higher in soft than hard sediment streams. Deposited sediment cover was greater in soft than hard sediment streams, and greater in pasture and exotic forest streams than in indigenous forest streams. Periphyton cover did not differ between land uses but was higher in soft sediment streams. Ecological health was higher in the indigenous forest sites, intermediate in exotic forest sites and lowest in pasture streams. Biological indices were also higher within each land use in streams draining hard than soft sediment streams. Invertebrate communities appear to be determined primarily by the amount of deposited fine sediment and conductivity, both of which are higher in soft than in hard bottom streams, and in exotic forest and pasture streams. Synthesis and applications: Our results illustrate a complex and strong interaction between geology and land use and the consequent impact on stream macroinvertebrate communities. The combination of soft bottom streams with pasture or exotic forest land use is more detrimental than in similar hard bottom streams. Therefore, regulations for the management of any given land use need to be much stricter in catchments dominated by soft sediment geology.

Vertical distribution of edaphic oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) in two artificial forests planted on temperate grasslands

Context Oribatid mites are the most abundant taxon in forest soils that rely on porosity and organic matter availability. Exotic forests of Pinus radiata and Eucalyptus globulus planted over native grasslands in the Pampas region of Argentina have produced modification in soil properties, which can affect the composition and structure of native oribatids communities. Aims To compare oribatid communities in soils under artificial woodlands of pine and eucalyptus and to assess the vertical distribution of oribatids in relation to edaphic variables. Methods In each forest, oribatids were collected from three levels of the A horizon: (1) litter layer; (2) 0–5 cm; and (3) 5–10 cm. Edaphic variables measured were penetration resistance, bulk density, total porosity, pH and water content and luminosity at soil level. Density, species richness, diversity and evenness of oribatids were calculated in each level of each forest. Comparisons were made through multivariate analyses. Key results Edaphic variables showed no significant differences between plots but litters were structurally different. Richness and diversity showed no differences between plots whereas evenness was significantly higher in plot P. Density had higher values in the litter layer of both forests. Canonical Analysis of Principal Coordinates (CAP) showed that Pine plots had a more defined vertical distribution. Conclusions The structure and composition of litters promoted differences in the vertical distribution of oribatids. In Pinus, thick unaltered litter showed a marked vertical gradient of mites along levels while in Eucalyptus, thin and easily decomposing litter, showed no vertical patterns. Implications Assessment and management of soil biodiversity in artificial woodlands.

Comparing diversity of the terrestrial mammal communities inhabiting native forests and exotic plantations in southern Chile

The mammal community of the Coastal Range of southern Chile has been little studied even though they inhabit an environment under severe threats due to anthropic disturbance. During the spring-summer seasons of 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, we characterized the communities of wild terrestrial mammals in a native forest (NF) and an exotic plantation of Eucalyptus (PL) of the Coastal Range of Osorno province by phototrapping. We used 1,060 camera-trap days in the NF and 960 camera-trap days in the PL to explore the effect of habitat type on wild mammal diversity in two localities (L-1 and L-2). We quantified the species richness, abundance, community similarity and daily distribution of mammal communities. Species richness was higher in the NF (7–8 spp) than in the PL (3–4 spp). Two community similarity index (CSI) was significantly higher between native forests (CSI = 0.728 ± 0.088) than between Eucalyptus plantations (CSI = 0.211 ± 0.097) (95% CI). Mean abundance was also higher in the NF than in the PL (L-1: 0.011 vs. 0.004 occurrence/camera-trap day (OCT); L-2: 0.008 vs. 0.004 OCT). In L-1, the most abundant mammals in the NF were Leopardus guigna (45.3% of relative occurrence (RO)) and Pudu puda (18.9% RO), and in the PL, they were Lycalopex culpaeus (50% RO) and L. guigna (37.5% RO). In L-2, the highest abundances in the NF were for P. puda (34.5% RO) and Puma concolor (27.6% RO), while in the PL, P. puda was predominant (66.7% RO). In NF of both localities, 22.2% of melanic L. guigna individuals were observed. The highest frequency of occurrences in both locations was between 12:00 and 23:59 hours, with 60% and 76.9% of detections, respectively. The species richness found in native forest is in accordance with studies carried out in other temperate rainforests of southern Chile. In addition, native forests support a richer and more similar community of terrestrial mammals than exotic forest plantations, which indicates that native forests are the main habitat for most mammals detected and that exotic plantations function as a complementary habitat for some species.

Identifying a green infrastructure to prioritise areas for restoration to enhance the landscape connectivity and the provision of ecosystem services

IntroductionHabitat fragmentation is one of the major causes of the loss of biodiversity that our planet is experiencing. This has affected the ecosystems functioning and, consequently, the provision of ecosystem services (ES). Therefore, the European Commission, in a 2013 communication, established the concept of Green Infrastructure (GI), which is a strategically planned network of multifunctional areas with the aim of protecting biodiversity and ES supply, as well as improving ecological connectivity. Ecological restoration is an essential element to achieve the objectives of the GI, which if well targeted, could reverse widespread ecosystem degradation and improve landscape connectivity.ObjectiveIn this study, we propose a methodology to prioritise areas to restore by identifying a GI in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (UBR), in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, where forest plantations of exotic species abound.MethodsIn order to identify the elements of the GI (core areas and corridors) we integrated a multispecies approach based on the movement of key species and an ES-based approach based on multifunctionality. Subsequently, to prioritise areas to restore we identified sectors in the GI, where connectivity is particularly vulnerable (pinch points) using the circuit theory. Thus, forest plantations around the pinch points were prioritised for a future restoration plans depending on their aim: (1) Improve corridors of high importance and low quality for the multispecies approach (2) Improve corridors of high importance and low quality for the ES-based approach, and (3) Improve the connectivity of the GI for the species movement.ResultsThe resultant GI included 36% of the UBR surface. We identified 34 pinch points for the corridors of the three especies in the multispecies approach and 64 in the ES-based approach. We prioritised 149 ha of exotic forest plantations around the pinch points to convert into native forest in order to improve the corridors and 167 ha to improve GI connectivity.ConclusionThis information could be useful for organizations and institutions carrying out restoration actions for the recovering of native forests in the territory.

Effects of protected areas on soil nematode communities in forests of the North of Portugal

AbstractNature conservation policy is mainly concerned with aboveground terrestrial species and soil biodiversity has been largely ignored, resulting in a lack of information about the conservation status of most soil organisms and about the effects that nature conservation policies have on soil systems. Forests in Northern Portugal are characterized by a remarkable diversity of ecosystems and provide habitat for an enormous diversity of living organisms. This study aims to investigate whether and to what extent protected areas and forest typology (native vs. exotic) affect soil nematode biodiversity and functions in forest ecosystems. We studied soil nematode communities, which have been widely used for their bioindicator value, to: (i) assess differences in soil biodiversity and functions between protected and non-protected areas, and between native and exotic forest types; and (ii) infer how protected areas deal with pressures and drivers of soil biodiversity and functions. We showed that current work done by nature conservation in Northern Portugal is producing some significant effects on the soil system, showing a larger Structure and Omnivore footprints and greater abundance of fungivorous and omnivorous nematodes in protected areas. Furthermore, native forest areas are better suited to ensure soil biodiversity and ecological functioning and should have a greater importance in nature conservation measures. Soil organic carbon, apparent density, soil moisture, and deciduous forest cover mainly influenced soil functional biodiversity with higher nematode trophic groups being positively associated with soil organic carbon and moisture and negatively associated with apparent density. Finally, conservation efforts targeted at the protection of native forests need to better consider effects on soil biodiversity and function, to provide an integrated protection of both aboveground and belowground components.

Influence of weather on long-tailed bat detection in a North Island exotic forest

Influence of weather on long-tailed bat detection in a North Island exotic forest

Logs or permits? Forestry land use decisions in an emissions trading scheme

AbstractNegative carbon emissions options are required to meet long‐term climate goals in many countries. One way to incentivise these options is by paying farmers for carbon sequestered by forests through an emissions trading scheme (ETS). New Zealand has a comprehensive ETS, which includes incentives for farmers to plant permanent exotic forests. This research uses an economy‐wide model, a forestry model and land use change functions to measure the expected proportion of farmers with trees at harvesting age that will change land use from production to permanent forests in New Zealand from 2014 to 2050. We also estimate the impacts on carbon sequestration, the carbon price, gross emissions, GDP and welfare. When there is forestry land use change, the results indicate that the responsiveness of land owners to the carbon price has a measured impact on carbon sequestration. For example, under the fastest land use change scenario, carbon sequestration reaches 29.93 Mt CO2e by 2050 compared to 23.41 Mt CO2e in the no land use change scenario (a 28% increase). Even under the slowest land use change scenario, carbon sequestration is 25.89 Mt CO2e by 2050 (an 11% increase compared with no land use change). This is because, if foresters decide not to switch to permanent forests in 1 year, carbon prices and ultimately incentives to convert to permanent forests will be higher in future years.

High vulnerability of coastal wetlands in Chile at multiple scales derived from climate change, urbanization, and exotic forest plantations

Coastal wetlands are considered one of the most vulnerable ecosystems worldwide; the ecosystem services they provide and the conservation of their biodiversity are threatened. Despite the high ecological and socioenvironmental value of coastal wetlands, regional and national vulnerability assessments are scarce. In this study we aimed to assess the vulnerability of coastal wetlands in Chile from 18°S to 42°S (n = 757) under a multiscale approach that included drivers associated with climate change and land cover change. We assessed multiple drivers of vulnerability at three spatial scales (10 m, 100 m, and 500 m) by analyzing multiple remote sensing data (16 variables) on land cover change, wildfires, climatic variables, vegetation functional properties, water surface and importance for biodiversity. We constructed a multifactorial vulnerability index based on the variables analyzed, which provided a map of coastal wetland vulnerability. Then we explored the main drivers associated with the vulnerability of each coastal wetland by performing a Principal Components Analysis with Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering, which allowed us to group coastal wetlands according to the drivers analyzed. We found that 42.6 ± 9.2 % of the coastal wetlands evaluated have high or very high vulnerability, with higher vulnerability at the 500 m scale (51.4 %). We identified four groups of coastal wetlands: two located in central Chile, mainly affected by climate change-associated drivers (41.9 ± 2.1 %), and one in central Chile which is affected by land cover change (52.8 ± 6.2 %); the latter has a lower vulnerability level. The most vulnerable coastal wetlands were located in central Chile. Our results present novel findings about the current vulnerability of coastal wetlands, which could be validated by governmental institutions in field campaigns. Finally, we believe that our methodological approach could be useful to generate similar assessments in other world zones.

Occupancy patterns of two contrasting carnivores in an industrial forest mosaic

Normally, industrial forest landscapes are mosaics of different exotic and native vegetation patches, and, depending on their structural and functional diversity, they may be able to support potentially important biodiversity. In Central Chile, there are 3.1 million hectares of exotic forest plantations, and these environments are included as habitat, among others, of two contrasting carnivores: the generalist culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus) and the kodkod (Leopardus guigna), a forest specialist cat. For this study, we sampled a large area (∼350 km2) in the coastal range of Central Chile with camera traps (n = 500) for three consecutive years to observe the summer occupancy patterns of these two carnivores. We used single season occupancy models with covariates at landscape and local scales. The main results showed that, for the culpeo fox, the proportion of harvested area had a positive influence on its occupation, whereas for the kodkod the proportion of bare soil and leaf litter had a negative and positive influence, respectively. Since both species occupy the landscape mosaic created by the forestry industry, it would be valuable to integrate the observed occupancy patterns into conservation plans at both local and landscape levels for these species.

Industrial forestry negatively affects small-farms honey production in south-central Chile: evidence from a landscape scale

Land use and cover change have a high influence on bee species, where honey bees (Apis mellifera) could be affected in terms of resources, dispersal, and habitat. However, the influence of landscape context on honey productivity has been scarcely explored in comparison with population parameters, which is an essential topic for the economic development of rural communities based on apiculture. Here, we tested the hypothesis if honey production decreases with the increase of exotic forest plantations in the landscape as the cover of native forest decreases, vegetation and soils become increasingly degraded. We compiled data on honey productivity for two years (2018 and 2019) of small-scale honey production in 17 landscapes of 1 km radii (Curanilahue state in south-central Chile). Then, the landscapes were characterized by using remote sensing techniques, including biophysical and compositional landscape variables. Finally, Generalized Linear Mixed Models were implemented to explore the relationship between landscape variables and honey productivity. We identified a positive relationship between honey productivity with built cover and grassland cover. On the other hand, a negative relationship was found between honey production and net primary production, exotic forest plantations, and tree senescence index. Our results provide new insights into the landscape-scale drivers of hive productivity in rural landscapes of south-central Chile.

Land use modification causes slow, but predictable, change in soil microbial community composition and functional potential

BackgroundBacterial communities are critical to ecosystem functioning and sensitive to their surrounding physiochemical environment. However, the impact of land use change on microbial communities remains understudied. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomics to assess soil microbial communities' taxonomic and functional responses to land use change. We compared data from long-term grassland, exotic forest and horticulture reference sites to data from sites that transitioned from (i) Grassland to exotic forest or horticulture and from (ii) Exotic forest to grassland.ResultsCommunity taxonomic and functional profiles of the transitional sites significantly differed from those within reference sites representing both their historic and current land uses (P < 0.001). The bacterial communities in sites that transitioned more recently were compositionally more similar to those representing their historic land uses. In contrast, the composition of communities from sites exposed to older conversion events had shifted towards the compositions at reference sites representing their current land use.ConclusionsOur study indicates that microbial communities respond in a somewhat predictable way after a land use conversion event by shifting from communities reflecting their former land use towards those reflecting their current land use. Our findings help us to better understand the legacy effects of land use change on soil microbial communities and implications for their role in soil health and ecosystem functioning. Understanding the responsiveness of microbial communities to environmental disturbances will aid us in incorporating biotic variables into soil health monitoring techniques in the future.

Airborne multispectral imagery and deep learning for biosecurity surveillance of invasive forest pests in urban landscapes

Urban and peri-urban trees in major cities provide a gateway for exotic pests and diseases (hereafter “pests”) to establish and spread into new countries. Consequently, they can be used as sentinels for early detection of exotic pests that could threaten commercial, environmental and amenity forests. Biosecurity surveillance for exotic forest pests relies on monitoring of host trees — or sentinel trees — around high-risk sites, such as airports and seaports. There are few publicly available spatial databases of urban street and park trees, so locating and mapping host trees is conducted via ground surveys. This is time-consuming and resource-intensive, and generally does not provide complete coverage. Advances in remote sensing technologies and machine learning provide an opportunity for semi-automation of tree species mapping to assist in biosecurity surveillance. In this study, we obtained high resolution (≥12 cm), 10-band, multispectral imagery using the ArborCam™ system mounted to a fixed-wing aircraft over Sydney, Australia. We mapped 630 Pinus trees and 439 Platanus trees on-foot, validating their exact location on the airborne imagery using an in-field mapping app. Using a machine learning, convolutional neural network workflow, we were able to classify the two target genera with a high level of accuracy in a complex urban landscape. Overall accuracy was 92.1% for Pinus and 95.2% for Platanus, precision (user’s accuracy) ranged from 61.3% to 77.6%, sensitivity (producer’s accuracy) ranged from 92.7% to 95.2%, and F1-score ranged from 74.6% to 84.4%. Our study validates the potential for using multispectral imagery and machine learning to increase efficiencies in tree biosecurity surveillance. We encourage biosecurity agencies to consider greater use of this technology.

Using long-term experimental restoration of agroecosystems in Aotearoa New Zealand to improve implementation of Nature-based Solutions for climate change mitigation

Tree planting has long played a major role in the New Zealand Government’s approach to climate mitigation and is increasingly understood as important for climate adaptation. However, large-scale tree planting in Aotearoa New Zealand has been dominated by exotic species. Although there is growing public and expert support for using native species for forest revegetation in farm landscapes, there are two key barriers. First, the lack of ecological and economic data on native species performance in different environmental conditions. Second, policy and market-related mechanisms associated with carbon sequestration, such as the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, favor the continuing use of exotic tree species, especially Pinus radiata, over native species. Consequently, there are strong incentives for exotic forests and insufficient financial support for natives, even when native forest re-establishment is often the preference of landowners, Indigenous peoples, and local communities. The AUT Living Laboratories Program is a long-term, transdisciplinary, experimental restoration research program aimed at addressing scientific, social, and economic knowledge gaps for native revegetation as a Nature-based Solution (NbS) on farmland soils. Here, we present the project design and establishment information from the three experimental restoration sites, which vary in native species composition, planting configuration, and environmental and socio-cultural context. Each site involves partnerships with Indigenous communities, specifically Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Manuhiri, and Ngāti Pāoa, to value and embed mātauranga Māori as Indigenous knowledge. Monitoring carbon sequestration along with changes in ecological functions and outcomes, including native biodiversity, will be critical to ensure that large-scale tree-planting aligns with the government’s strategies for climate change, native biodiversity, and economic prosperity.

SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forests of Azores: V - New records of terrestrial arthropods after ten years of SLAM sampling.

A long-term study monitoring arthropods (Arthropoda) is being conducted since 2012 in the forests of Azorean Islands. Named "SLAM - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores", this project aims to understand the impact of biodiversity erosion drivers in the distribution, abundance and diversity of Azorean arthropods. The current dataset represents arthropods that have been recorded using a total of 42 passive SLAM traps (Sea, Land and Air Malaise) deployed in native, mixed and exotic forest fragments in seven Azorean Islands (Flores, Faial, Pico, Graciosa, Terceira, São Miguel and Santa Maria). This manuscript is the fifth data-paper contribution, based on data from this long-term monitoring project. We targeted taxa for species identification belonging to Arachnida (excluding Acari), Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Hexapoda (excluding Collembola, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera (but including only Formicidae)). Specimens were sampled over seven Azorean Islands during the 2012-2021 period. Spiders (Araneae) data from Pico and Terceira Islands are not included since they have been already published elsewhere (Costa and Borges 2021, Lhoumeau et al. 2022). We collected a total of 176007 specimens, of which 168565 (95.7%) were identified to the species or subspecies level. For Araneae and some Hemiptera species, juveniles are also included in this paper, since the low diversity in the Azores allows a relatively precise species-level identification of this life-stage. We recorded a total of 316 named species and subspecies, belonging to 25 orders, 106 families and 260 genera. The ten most abundant species were mostly endemic or native non-endemic (one Opiliones, one Archaeognatha and seven Hemiptera) and only one exotic species, the Julida Ommatoiulusmoreleti (Lucas, 1860). These ten species represent 107330 individuals (60%) of all sampled specimens and can be considered as the dominant species in the Azorean native forests for the target studied taxa. The Hemiptera were the most abundant taxa, with 90127 (50.4%) specimens. The Coleoptera were the most diverse with 30 (28.6%) families.We registered 72 new records for many of the islands (two for Flores, eight for Faial, 24 for Graciosa, 23 for Pico, eight for Terceira, three for São Miguel and four for Santa Maria). These records represent 58 species. None of them is new to the Azores Archipelago. Most of the new records are introduced species, all still with low abundance on the studied islands. This publication contributes to increasing the baseline information for future long-term comparisons of the arthropods of the studied sites and the knowledge of the arthropod fauna of the native forests of the Azores, in terms of species abundance, distribution and diversity throughout seasons and years.

Unraveling the Differences in Landcover Patterns in High Mountains and Low Mountain Environments within the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest Biome in Chile

The Valdivian temperate rainforest (VTR) is a biome on the South American continent with high endemism that has experienced an intensive land-cover change in recent decades due to the expansion of agriculture, plantations of introduced forests, and urban growth. Today, the biome hosts key parts of the country’s agricultural and forestry industries. Previous studies focused on quantifying native forest and plantation cover area and exotic forest plantation area, among others. However, the importance of mountain areas as refuge of native forest in Chile remains unexplored. The aim of this research is to highlight the role of latitude and slope on land cover in the VTR. A new methodological approach was used combining global classified datasets. Our results indicate that high mountain areas are the core location of the remaining primary forests and endemism whereas low mountain areas are dominated by exotic forest plantations. Between 40–48° S (The Los Ríos, Los Lagos, and Aysén Regions and high-mountain areas), in general, serve as a natural reservoir where human-induced land-cover change has not occurred on a large scale. Most public and private conservation areas are in high mountain areas, whereas low mountain areas and plain areas lack conservation schemes and are more prone to land cover change towards forestry. Considering geomorphological features in land cover change analysis can reveal interesting new perspectives in this research area.

The resilience of amphibians to wildfire is habitat dependent

Climate and socioeconomic factors are modifying fire regimes. In this scenario, some taxa such as amphibians may be increasingly vulnerable. However, knowledge concerning how amphibian species respond to wildfires is limited and information is puzzling, with studies reporting positive, negative or neutral responses. We examined amphibian species occurrence after a 1600-ha fire in a fire-active region located in the north-western Iberian Peninsula. This area is a biogeographical crossroad where Atlantic and Mediterranean amphibian species can coexist in the same ponds. We sampled 33 water points in native (mainly oak) and non-native (eucalyptus) forests. Water points were sampled in two different periods: just after the fire to report direct mortality (resistance to fire), and two years after the fire to evidence resilience. We examined the influence of forest type and fire occurrence on the number of amphibian species detected per point (species richness). Species richness per point varied both depending on forest type (i.e. higher richness in the native forest) and fire occurrence (i.e. more species at burnt points). The occurrence of Atlantic species did not change with fire at native forest points but declined in exotic forest points affected by fire. Mediterranean species richness was higher at native than exotic points, as the number of species increased in native burnt forests, benefiting from the open spaces cleared by the fire. This study identified the negative effect of eucalyptus plantations on amphibians and showed that the response of this taxon to fire is shaped by species-specific bioregion affinity.